Astronaut arrested in alleged kidnap attempt

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

ORLANDO, Fla. - An astronaut drove from Houston to Florida, donned a disguise and confronted a woman she believed was romantically involved with a space shuttle pilot she was in love with, police said. She was charged with attempted kidnapping and other counts.

U.S. Navy Capt. Lisa Nowak, 43, who flew last July on a shuttle mission to the international space station, was also charged with attempted vehicle burglary, destruction of evidence and battery. She was denied bail.

Police said Nowak drove from her home in Houston to the Orlando International Airport — wearing diapers so she wouldn't have to stop to urinate — to confront Colleen Shipman.

Nowak believed Shipman was romantically involved with Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein, a pilot during space shuttle Discovery's trip to the space station last December, police said.

Nowak told police that her relationship with Oefelein was "more than a working relationship but less than a romantic relationship," according to an arrest affidavit. Police officers recovered a love letter to Oefelein in her car.

NASA spokesman James Hartsfield in Houston said that, as of Monday, Nowak's status with the astronaut corps remained unchanged.

"What will happen beyond that, I will not speculate," he said.

Hartsfield said he couldn't recall the last time an astronaut was arrested and said there were no rules against fraternizing among astronauts.

When she found out that Shipman was flying to Orlando from Houston, Nowak decided to confront her, according to the arrest affidavit. Nowak drove the 900-mile trip from Houston to Orlando wearing diapers, police said.

Astronauts wear diapers during launch and re-entry.

Dressed in a wig and a trench coat, Nowak boarded an airport bus that Shipman took to her car in an airport parking lot. Shipman told police she noticed someone following her, hurried inside the car and locked the doors, according to the arrest affidavit.

Nowak rapped on the window, tried to open the car door and asked for a ride. Shipman refused but rolled down the car window a few inches when Nowak started crying. Nowak then sprayed a chemical into Shipman's car, the affidavit said.

Shipman drove to the parking lot booth, and the police were called.

During a check of the parking lot, an officer followed Nowak and watched her throw away a bag containing the wig and BB gun. They also found a steel mallet, a 4-inch folding knife, rubber tubing, $600 and garbage bags inside a bag Nowak was carrying when she was arrested, authorities said.

Inside Nowak's vehicle, which was parked at a nearby motel, authorities uncovered a pepper spray package, an unused BB-gun cartridge, latex gloves and e-mails between Shipman and Oefelein. They also found a letter "that indicated how much Mrs. Nowak loved Mr. Oefelein," an opened package for a buck knife, Shipman's home address and hand written directions to the address, the arrest affidavit said.

Police said Nowak told them that she only wanted to scare Shipman into talking to her about her relationship with Oefelein and didn't want to harm her physically.

"If you were just going to talk to someone, I don't know that you would need a wig, a trench coat, an air cartridge BB gun and pepper spray," said Sgt. Barbara Jones, a spokeswoman for the Orlando Police Department. "It's just really a very sad case. ... Now she ends up finding herself on the other side of the law with some very serious charges."

If convicted of attempted kidnapping, Nowak could face a maximum of life in prison.

It was not immediately known whether Nowak had an attorney.

According to NASA's official biography, Nowak is married with three children. During her 13-day mission in July she operated the robotic arm during three spacewalks.

Oefelein piloted the space shuttle Discovery in December. He has two children, according to a NASA biography.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16997958/?GT1=9033

[Fandango 1,439]

Wow that's insane. And her mug shot looks like hugh grant;s mug shot....same face.

oh, and sittin in pee during reentry is one thing, but in a car in Houston is just v high on the ICK factor

[SoL. 0]

Wow that's insane. And her mug shot looks like hugh grant;s mug shot....same face.

oh, and sittin in pee during reentry is one thing, but in a car in Houston is just v high on the ICK factor

LOL

I guess that trip to the milky way affected her.

Edited February 6, 2007 by Sol-de-Verano

[Sofiyya 1,687]

First the parachuting murder, now this. What's up with fly girls lately? Too much thin air, maybe.

[MichelleandCraig 1]

Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. M.

[YuAndDan 153]

I thought most astronauts were scientists, and tend to be logical, and not let emotions affect their thinking.

This one is no ROCKET SCIENTIST!

[DeadPoolX 9]

That's just nuts. Then again, I don't believe Nowak was in a proper state of mind at the time...

Most astronauts are/were military personnel or scientists, and while they attempt to be professional, they are human. Sometimes emotion overrides clear thinking. I'm not saying what she did was appropriate. All I'm saying is that things like this can occur.

You know what's interesting? Nowak was a U.S. Navy Captain (that's an O-6 grade, equal to that of a U.S. Army/Air Force/Marine Corps Colonel) and according to the story, she was in love with a man who was a U.S. Navy Commander (that's an O-5 grade, equal to that of a U.S. Army/Air Force/Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel). The reason I find this interesting is because I thought (and I may be mistaken) that the military had rules against commissioned and non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel "dating" one another if the two are of different rank.

I remember hearing that somewhere. Again, I may be mistaken. Someone here who has served in the U.S. military might be able to shed some light on that.

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

That's just nuts. Then again, I don't believe Nowak was in a proper state of mind at the time...

Most astronauts are/were military personnel or scientists, and while they attempt to be professional, they are human. Sometimes emotion overrides clear thinking. I'm not saying what she did was appropriate. All I'm saying is that things like this can occur.

You know what's interesting? Nowak was a U.S. Navy Captain (that's an O-6 grade, equal to that of a U.S. Army/Air Force/Marine Corps Colonel) and according to the story, she was in love with a man who was a U.S. Navy Commander (that's an O-5 grade, equal to that of a U.S. Army/Air Force/Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel). The reason I find this interesting is because I thought (and I may be mistaken) that the military had rules against commissioned and non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel "dating" one another if the two are of different rank.

I remember hearing that somewhere. Again, I may be mistaken. Someone here who has served in the U.S. military might be able to shed some light on that.

officer - officer, enlisted - enlisted is ok as long as one is not in the other's chain of command. officer - enlisted was forbidden back about 1999, at least for the army.

[DeadPoolX 9]

That's just nuts. Then again, I don't believe Nowak was in a proper state of mind at the time...

Most astronauts are/were military personnel or scientists, and while they attempt to be professional, they are human. Sometimes emotion overrides clear thinking. I'm not saying what she did was appropriate. All I'm saying is that things like this can occur.

You know what's interesting? Nowak was a U.S. Navy Captain (that's an O-6 grade, equal to that of a U.S. Army/Air Force/Marine Corps Colonel) and according to the story, she was in love with a man who was a U.S. Navy Commander (that's an O-5 grade, equal to that of a U.S. Army/Air Force/Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel). The reason I find this interesting is because I thought (and I may be mistaken) that the military had rules against commissioned and non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel "dating" one another if the two are of different rank.

I remember hearing that somewhere. Again, I may be mistaken. Someone here who has served in the U.S. military might be able to shed some light on that.

officer - officer, enlisted - enlisted is ok as long as one is not in the other's chain of command. officer - enlisted was forbidden back about 1999, at least for the army.

Ah...okay, thanks for clearing that up for me, Charles.

[cbd2cai 0]

This is just sad . . . and she was married with 3 kids??? Sad for the whole family. But she probably needs to be taken in for some massive psych evaluation . . . and kept out of the shuttle . . . don't want her to get spaced out!

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I thought most astronauts were scientists, and tend to be logical, and not let emotions affect their thinking.

This one is no ROCKET SCIENTIST!

Actually, more mil pilots than scientists, both amongst astronauts as well as "cosmonauts" of erstwhile Soviet Union.

Still though, requires some logical thinking (to make it through basic training, etc).

[Lewis 0]

Totally bizarre and sad. My mom said we went to the same church as this woman's family when I was a kid. Our parents knew each other. She was the older sister in the family. I vaguely remember it, I think she had two younger sisters. We visited their home a few times and she cooked spaghetti for us.

[almaty 19]

#######???? terrible..just wrong..that astronaut is a chopf##k and

ms. shitty pants to boot

Edited February 6, 2007 by almaty

[eric&gen 0]

Houston i think we have a problem????!!!!!!!

[Sofiyya 1,687]

The charges against her were just upped to attempted murder.